For two weekends, starting on Friday, February 28th, Home Made Theater will present what is arguably William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Hamlet.
Hamlet is the story of Prince Hamlet, a brooding and contemplative Danish prince who is tasked by his father’s ghost with avenging his father’s murder at the hands of Hamlet’s uncle Claudius, the new king, who has also married Hamlet’s mother. Plagued by indecision and internal conflict, Hamlet grapples with his duty to act while simultaneously questioning the morality of revenge, leading to a series of complex and often erratic behaviors as he attempts to expose Claudius’s guilt and ultimately enact justice, culminating in a tragic chain of events.
The Co-directors of the production are Dianne O’Neill and J. Scala. Ms. O’Neill’s previous directing credits with Home Made Theater include New Jerusalem, Dial M for Murder, The Mousetrap, and A Christmas Carol, to name just a few. J. Scala has been making theatre in the Capital Region since their youth. This production will be their second Hamlet, having previously played the Ghost and Guildenstern while studying at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
The cast of Hamlet includes faces both familiar, and brand new to Home Made Theater audiences. Returning to Home Made Theater’s stage are Megan Anderson, Travis Brunell, Peter Burleigh, Sydney Davis, Jonathan Hefter, J Hunter (his preferred spelling/punctuation), Joan Meyer, Elizabeth Parizh, Patrick Quinn, William Sanderson, and David Skeele. Making their Home Made Theater debut are Jared Aldi, Rafe Epstein, Jacklyn Grant, Elizabeth Helmer, Ted Orosz, Allison Schmitt, and Beverly Skoll.
In addition to six public performances, there will be two private matinees for school groups. More than 225 high school students from Ballston Spa, Schuylerville, and other schools will attend a performance followed by a Q & A with the directors, some of the production staff, and the cast.
Performances of Hamlet begin on Friday, February 28th and end on Sunday, March 9th. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:00pm and Sunday performances are at 2:00pm. The play will be performed in the Saratoga Music Hall, in the Saratoga Springs City Hall building at 474 Broadway.
General admission seats are $20 for students (those under 18 and college students with ID), and $25 for all others. Tickets can be purchased on Home Made Theater’s website, www.homemadetheater.org, or by calling 518-587-4427.